(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for market research. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for collecting audience response data.
(2) Related Art
For many years, the motion picture industry has used test screenings to determine appropriate editing for motion pictures. Typically, audiences were given a hand-held controller with a dial thereon and gradations from very dull to very good. The audience member then turns the dial to the particular location that they believe reflected their attitude towards the film at any particular time. In this way, scenes that had a favorable audience response could be retained, while those to which the audience responded unfavorably could be reduced or eliminated. However, this dial system makes a collection of demographic data and/or responses to multiple choice or biconditional questions difficult to obtain. Typically, questions needed to be phrased such as if you agree, turn the dial all the way to very good, and if not, turn the dial all the way to very dull. Alternatively, paper questionnaires were passed out. To the extent that the audience bothered to fill out the questionnaires, a significant data entry task lay ahead in order to enter the data into the computer so that it could be manipulated and used in a meaningful way.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a system which more easily accommodates responses to biconditional and/or multiple choice questions and retains the dial continuous monitoring of audience response.